


the awful sweetness of escaping sweat

by brassballoon



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, BDSM, Enemies to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, M/M, Mention of Ozqrow, Smoking, These Boys Are EAF (Emo As Fuck), Trans Male Character, Trans Qrow Branwen, Unconventional Weapon Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:07:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29578644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brassballoon/pseuds/brassballoon
Summary: Qrow had known Roman since they were kids. Rival tribes were funny like that. A punch here, a kiss there, nothing serious. Every time Qrow saw Roman, he thought it would be the last. Roman said they were just too different. Qrow thinks maybe they’re too similar. A story of how two idiots always manage to find each other, even when it's not always at the right time.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Roman Torchwick
Kudos: 7
Collections: Qrow Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter is separated by Qrow's age at the time of events.
> 
> Accompanying art appears in chapter six and was created by the talented Mantispire! Thank you for creating such a gorgeous piece to go with this story. Find more of his amazing art [here](https://twitter.com/mantispire).
> 
> Fic title unabashedly stolen from the Bright Eyes song by the same title. I think it fits them well. You can listen [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-mPd-HUL5A).

_Eight._

Qrow sat on his bed mat, his knees close to his chest. He glanced over at Raven, who had already fallen asleep. The sound of crickets surrounded their tent and his breath hung in the crisp night air. He looked at the freshly dressed bandages covering his hands. They hurt. He didn't want to draw attention to another one of his mistakes, so he tried to play it off, saying that it looked worse than it felt. The other kids had told him that he couldn't play with them, that he always ruined their games. He told them this time it would be different, that he just wanted to watch. He’d kept his distance, hanging back by the campfire while they threw the ball around. After a few minutes, a rogue ball flew towards him and boom. Into the fire. _At least he’d caught the ball,_ he thought, wincing as he lay down on his mat. Qrow sighed. _Maybe they were right, maybe he was bad luck._ _He couldn’t seem to do anything right._ He stared at the ceiling of the tent. A heavy gust of wind blew past, rattling the supports. Raven stirred but didn’t wake up. It was late and he was supposed to be sleeping, but his hands were a painful distraction. Their tent was small and he could hear his parents talking not-so-quietly on the opposite side.

"These aren't coincidences at this point," his Mother said. Qrow could hear the familiar sound of bottles clanking and a cork being pulled from one of them.

"What kind of shitty semblance is that anyway, being accident prone." It was a statement, not a question. Qrow heard the familiar cracking and hissing of her own semblance being used to create ice.

His Father was silent. He heard another cork being pulled from a bottle.

“He’d better learn to activate his aura soon, is all I can say,” his Mother said. His Father’s unusual silence continued. He heard some shuffling, then a glass being slammed down on the table.

"NO. FUCKING. WAY." Qrow heard his Mother say loudly in response to his Father's silence. "Don't you dare tell me this runs in your family."

Another stretch of silence before his Father finally sighed, put his glass down, and started to speak.

"I thought it had ended. A long time ago. It didn't get passed down to me, so I just thought..." His Father's voice trailed off.

"Shit. That's just great. As if our lives weren't hard enough. That boy's going to have to work ten times as hard just to keep himself from getting killed, or any of us for that matter.”


	2. Chapter 2

_Thirteen._

If the crashing and shouting didn't wake him, the gunshots did. Qrow lurched up, half asleep. Another raid. Their camp was getting hit more often now, and always at night.

 _The tent was empty, why didn't anyone wake him up?_ More gunshots outside, but closer this time. He knew he should hurry. He glanced around, quickly grabbing a few things. He had started to stuff a bag containing his rock collection into his pocket when he heard a gun cock and a voice speak behind him.

"Drop the bag." The boy sounded young, probably around his own age. Qrow contemplated going for his weapon which was lying under his mat, but he hesitated, instead letting the bag fall from his pocket, the shiny rocks scattering across the floor at his feet. He heard the boy's footsteps come towards him, and he heard one of the rocks being kicked aside.

"Not even dust crystals," the boy said, his tone a mix of disappointment and disdain. "Turn around."

Qrow slowly turned, a boy who looked about his age stood in front of him, he was a few inches taller than him, skinny with a mess of orange hair. He was leaning on a walking stick with his right hand and holding a small revolver with his left. He lowered his gun when he saw Qrow and smirked.

"So you're the one who's cursed, huh?" The boy asked, eyeing Qrow from behind his mop of fire-orange hair. He had a wide smile and he spoke with an air of confidence and curiosity. He didn’t really seem that threatening, but Qrow wasn’t going to take any chances. He took the window of opportunity to reach behind him with his foot, kicking his curved axe out from under his mat. He stepped on the handle, so that it landed firmly in his hand. He quickly pulled the other boy's gun from his hand with his axe, disarming him and hearing it land out of reach near the door. The other boy smiled and put his left hand up in surrender.

"How do you know who I am?" Qrow demanded, brandishing his axe towards the boy’s throat."

"Hey now, don't flatter yourself. A Torchwick knows a Branwen when he sees one." The boy said playfully, his tone unconcerned. Qrow wondered why he wasn't afraid, maybe he was just putting on a good show.

"Qrow, right?" He asked, his hand still in the air. "Roman," he said, holding out his hand to shake. Qrow didn't move, his eyes not straying from Roman's face.

"Ok, fair enough," Roman said, retracting his hand and walking a few steps to plop down on a nearby chair.

Qrow couldn't believe the audacity of this kid. Wasn't he going to run?

"What do you want?" Qrow asked. "Why can't you just leave us alone?"

Roman laughed. "I hate to break it to you, but from one bandit to another, that's kind of what we do." Roman paused, looked around, then raised his eyebrow. "Got left here, huh?" He asked, turning to look at Qrow.

Qrow scowled then lowered his weapon. He took a few steps towards Roman and leaned against one of the big poles supporting the tent. It seemed like this kid was going to be more of a pain in the ass than an actual threat.

"I'm not exactly the tribe's favorite, which you might've guessed," he said, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Roman folded his arms behind his head and put his feet up.

"Well it seems to me like they're missing out, because you're pretty damn fast with that thing."

Qrow's eyes lit up and a faint blush grew on his cheeks. He couldn't remember the last time someone had given him a compliment. He sure as hell didn't want Roman knowing that though.

Roman continued, "Must be nice, I bet people don't expect too much from you."

Qrow’s scowl returned. He should know better not to expect anything less from a Torchwick. Roman sure was doing a lot of talking for being in the middle of a raid, he seemed almost eager to talk to Qrow. Roman pulled out a toothpick from his jacket, offering one to Qrow. Qrow just stared at him and blinked.

“I’m the only one left in training over at my tribe. You know, after a certain neighboring tribe brought a stampede of goliaths into our camp.” Roman stared daggers into Qrow’s eyes. Qrow sputtered.

“Hey, I had nothing to do with that. I’m not even allowed on missions or anything!” Qrow said hurriedly. He felt guilty about all the people that had gotten killed, it wasn’t supposed to be as bad as it had actually turned out to be. Qrow wondered how many people had died, it must’ve been a lot for Roman to be the only kid left.

Roman’s stare lost its intensity and he dropped his eyes, focusing on the scattered stones on the floor.

“I know it’s not your fault,” Roman said quietly. He stood up, scooping up a particularly striking blue rock that looked like a smooth dent had been rubbed into the surface. He turned it around for a moment before stashing it in his pocket and walking over to the door.

“Hey-” Qrow had started to say, before he heard shouting coming from outside. Qrow put his back against the wall, standing ready with his curved axe gripped tight in his hands. He couldn’t see who was in the doorway, but he saw Roman pick up his weapon before talking to them.

“Did you find the boy?” A deep voice asked from outside the tent. He heard Roman reply.

“Yes. In here,” Roman said.

Qrow panicked as his eyes flitted around the room. There was nowhere to go. _Maybe he could hop onto a crate, and jump onto his attackers_. He didn’t get a chance to make a move before he heard Roman continue.

“...but he ran into the woods,” Roman said, looking straight at Qrow. Qrow let out a breath of relief.

“YOU LET HIM GO??” The voice demanded.

He heard Roman sigh as he tapped his walking stick loudly on the ground in an exaggerated way.

“Believe it or not, but he actually outran me,” Roman said sarcastically.

“Come on, we’re leaving,” the voice said in an irritated tone.

Roman turned to leave and Qrow wasn’t entirely sure, but he could've sworn he saw Roman wink at him from behind his flurry of orange hair.


	3. Chapter 3

_Seventeen._

They had both been sent by their respective tribes to track down a geist. It liked to inhabit ordinary items around camp and follow them around, sabotaging their raids. It seemed to take great joy in the disruption and antagonization of both tribes. The first time a wooden chair was spotted following them on a stakeout, Qrow’s tribe got suspicious. The third time it happened, they decided they should do something about it. His tribe figured it would be a good solo mission for Qrow to take on by himself, so here he was, in the patch of woods directly north of camp. He definitely wasn’t expecting to see Roman, wildly shooting at the geist as it flew from tree to tree.

Qrow walked up behind Roman, watching with amusement as his shots bounced off the trees. He was crouched behind a rock, reloading his weapon. Qrow noticed that he had modified his weapon since the last time he had seen him, combining it with his walking stick. He now had a sleek looking cane with a built in sight that he was using to shoot the geist. Qrow also noticed that he had a visible sheen of sweat on his forehead.

“Nice shot,” Qrow said sarcastically. Roman jumped and let out a half squeak, half shout in surprise. He quickly looked behind him, letting out a loud breath when he saw that it was Qrow.

“Fucking HELL, Branwen. Give a guy some warning, would ya?” Roman stood up and wiped his brow with the back of his sleeve. “Figures I would see you here,” Roman continued, “seems like something even you couldn’t manage to screw up.”

“Shut up, Roman,” Qrow said automatically. “We just need to get this geist and then you can go home to your family,” he said, looking unphased by Roman’s comment. “Oh wait, they’re still dead aren’t they?” He added, smiling pointedly at Roman. Roman scoffed and rolled his eyes. Qrow didn’t wait for a response, instead he slung his weapon over his shoulder and walked off towards the patch of trees where he last spotted the geist.

“I would’ve made those shots too, if your cursed ass hadn’t shown up,” Roman muttered, brushing the dirt off of his knees and reluctantly following Qrow.

___

_Four hours later..._

A loud cracking sound echoed around them, as they watched the cliffside split off and crumble, a huge chunk breaking apart in front of them and falling into the canyon below. They stepped towards the edge, watching as the geist (who had chosen to inhabit a large, very spiky plant) plummeted towards the ground. They peered over the edge for a few moments, watching for any movement. They were both breathing heavily, winded from the fight. They waited a few moments longer, but the plant remained motionless. The sun was just starting to go down behind the mountains, casting an orange light across the canyon.

“That’s good enough for me,” Roman said, promptly dropping to his knees and collapsing backwards into the ground. His arms were spread out and he was still trying to catch his breath. Qrow glanced once more towards the geist and followed suit, taking a few gulps of water from his canteen, before laying next to Roman.

“I told you not to let it get inside that plant,” Qrow said, watching Roman pull out the sharp spines from his skin that the plant had left. He pulled each one out with a wince, hoping they wouldn’t do any lasting damage.

“Pfft, you certainly helped things by breaking open that nest of lancers,” Roman replied, pulling a particularly big spine out of his arm. “Ow, shit!” Roman gave up trying to pull them out, as he let out a breath that he was holding and laid back down again, staring up at the sky.

Qrow looked over at him. He was fidgeting and looking generally uncomfortable.

_Pathetic,_ Qrow thought to himself. Qrow sighed and sat up, climbing on top of Roman to straddle his waist.

“What the hell, Qrow??” Roman said, moving to push him off.

“Just hold still, dumbass,” Qrow said in response. Qrow leaned in closer to Roman, using one hand to hold him down and stop him from squirming, and the other to pull out the spines. Roman was tense at first, but after a few successful extractions from Qrow, his body began to relax, allowing Qrow to keep going. Some were in fairly deep, and Roman tried (with varying degrees of success) to not whimper or make any noises, he didn’t want Qrow thinking he was a wuss. He tried not to think about the weight of Qrow on top of him, and how he’d thought about the two of them being in this very position so many times before, just in different circumstances... Meanwhile, Qrow tried not to think about all the little noises that Roman was making as he pulled the spines out. Every quiet gasp that came out of Roman, made Qrow that more aware of how close their bodies were.

He realized how nice it felt, to have someone trust him, to witness Roman in this rare moment of vulnerability, no stupid jokes, no name-calling, just the warmth between their bodies. There may have never been a single pleasantry exchanged between them, but he had a better relationship with Roman than anyone back at his tribe, including his family. _Oh shit, did he actually like Roman?_

Qrow was almost finished, he saw one last spine in Roman’s neck. He brushed Roman’s hair away from his neck, his fingers gently grazing the skin behind Roman’s ear, resulting in what could only be described as a low moan from Roman. Qrow smirked. He hadn’t even taken the spine out yet. Qrow bent over Roman, his face close to his neck, and his breath ghosting over his skin. He ran his fingers into Roman’s hair, grasping a fistful and holding it tight as he removed the last spine. Roman gasped and Qrow felt Roman’s hips come off the ground.

_Fuck it._

Qrow brushed his lips over Roman’s neck, up to his jaw, and finally to his mouth, kissing him slowly. Roman pushed into the kiss, bringing his hands up to grip Qrow’s hips. Roman continued to push his hips up into Qrow as Qrow made a sound in the back of his throat, and kissed Roman harder.

Qrow suddenly paused, breaking their kiss to sit up and look at Roman. His hair was a mess, as usual. His eyes glassy, and lips parted, his chest rising and falling with each ragged breath. He returned Qrow’s gaze, but neither of them said a word, almost as if they knew one word from either of them could easily stop what they’d started.

They didn’t have long to enjoy the moment, as a familiar screeching sound resounded through the canyon. The geist had returned, it was coming from directly behind Qrow and flying straight for him. Roman quickly grabbed his cane, aiming for its eye, and fired just as it was a few inches away from Qrow. The geist exploded in a cloud of dust that rained down on them, before slowly disappearing. They stared at each other for a moment, both in shock. Roman dropped his cane with a sigh, his head hitting the ground with a thud.

“What a mood killer,” he said casually, with a tinge of disappointment.

Qrow pushed off of Roman’s chest and lept to his feet.

“I told you it wasn’t dead yet,” Qrow said. His cheeks were pink and he clearly looked embarrassed about the whole situation.

“You said no such thing,” Roman retorted, as he stood up and dusted himself off. “In fact the only time I remember you using your mouth, was when you decided to kiss me,” Roman continued, enjoying the heavy blush on Qrow’s face and his awkward movements, causing Qrow to fumble with his sword as he picked it up.

Roman enjoyed watching how flustered Qrow was. He chuckled as he picked himself up off the ground.

“Let’s get out of here, it’s getting dark,” Roman said, looking back at a bright red Qrow. Roman groaned as he leant on his cane and bent over for his pack. It had been a long day of fighting, and his leg was acting up more than usual. He took a compass out of his pocket, and spun it around for a few seconds. He put the compass away and started walking away from the canyon. “Come on, I know a place where we can set up camp.”

“Yeah, fine. Lead the way,” Qrow said, trying to sound composed, but his voice revealing how scattered he still was. He followed Roman, noticing for the first time, just how nice Roman looked from behind.

___

After a short trek, they arrived at a rocky outcropping, Roman pointed up to a small ledge off the ground that had a larger outcropping above it. It looked to be fairly protected from rain and any ground dwelling grimm. They had managed to get a fire going with only a minimal amount of bickering. Roman was laying on his bedroll with his hands behind his head. Qrow was sitting on his haunches, staring into the fire and poking it with a stick. It had started to rain a little, and there were sporadic drips splashing down on them through the rock.

“We wanted to take you, you know.” Roman said, offering no context whatsoever. He spoke with a kind of frankness, like he was letting Qrow in on a secret, one that he had been waiting to share for a while.

Qrow looked at him from across the fire, a slightly puzzled and tired look on his face.

“When we first met,” Roman continued, “we were going to train you, take you in as one of our own. Actually teach you to use your semblance.”

Qrow stopped poking the fire with his stick.

“So you were going to _kidnap_ me.” Qrow said, letting this information sink in. He glared angrily at Roman. Just when he thought he might have the hots for Roman, he was reminded of just how much of an asshole he was.

“Fucking typical,” he spat at Roman as he stood up. Roman’s expression looked surprised, then pleased with himself until he realized Qrow was headed straight for him. He stood up just in time to receive a solid punch to the face. He hit the wall of rock behind him, and held his jaw where Qrow had just hit him.

“For fuck sakes Qrow, you know I’m out of Aura,” Roman said, his body was hunched over and his hands were on his knees.

“Why do you think I punched you, Torchdick.” Qrow was pacing back and forth in front of Roman.

“You know what? I’m sick and tired of everyone thinking they know what’s best for me. That I’m some unfortunate soul that has to be pitied.” He walked to the other side of the outcropping, his back sliding down the slab of rock as he sat abruptly on the cold ground. “I’m sick of this place,” he said quietly, looking at the fire.

Roman sighed. He rubbed his jaw and sat back down on his mat. That didn’t go exactly as he had planned. He was hoping to finally tell Qrow what he’d been keeping him from him and maybe rile him up, not induce an emotional breakdown.

“Don’t you ever think about leaving?” Qrow asked, still looking into the fire.

Roman scoffed. “And go where exactly? Sorry to break it to you, but this is as good as it gets. No rules. We take what we need and stay out of the spotlight, what more do you want?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Qrow said, not sounding convinced. He’d spent his whole life living as an outcast among outcasts, and it honestly wasn’t his idea of a good time. “I’m going to Beacon next week.”

Roman’s face fell. “You’re… leaving.” His voice was flat and devoid of its usual playful energy. He turned his gaze downwards, his long hair covering the expression on his face. After a moment, he looked up at Qrow, the reflection of the fire in his eyes. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, before quickly changing his mind. Qrow was too pissed at him to carry on a conversation, and they spent the rest of the night in silence. Qrow drifted off to sleep, his emotions still running on high.

When he woke up, his mat was soaked from the rain and his body ached from sleeping on the hard ground. He looked over towards Roman, but didn’t see any sign of him, or his stuff. Upon closer inspection he recognized what seemed to be a lewd drawing in the sand next to the remains of the fire.


	4. Chapter 4

_Twenty Three_

Summer was gone. So was Raven. People kept dropping out of his life and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. Scratch that, he could do one thing. Stay far away from anyone he cared about. He sat at the bar, four drinks past one-too-many. Qrow finished what was in his glass and gestured at the bartender for another. She shook her head. He sighed, dropping a stack of lien on the counter before standing up. He needed a smoke. He headed towards the door, tripping on the uneven rug on the way out. He scowled and walked out into the rain. _A shitty night to end a shitty week._ He fumbled to pull the last cigarette from his pack, and searched his jacket for a lighter. _Dammit. Must’ve dropped it._ Qrow didn’t get the chance to stop and think, because a phantom arm extended next to him, opening a lighter and lighting it with a flick. Qrow didn’t look to see who it was before leaning forward and lighting his cigarette over the flame. A light was a light. A familiar voice came from the direction of the arm.

“Branwen. Nice to see some things never change,” Roman said, amusement in his voice.

Qrow looked over at him and he stumbled a bit. He placed his hand haphazardly over Roman’s face, before drunkenly stating the obvious.

“Hmm… Roman,” he said, suddenly smiling. Roman pushed Qrow’s hand away.

“Brilliant as usual,” Roman replied with an eyeroll. “Let me guess, need a lift?”

Qrow nodded. Things were fuzzy and lying down in the rain was starting to sound like a really good idea.

Roman sighed and flung Qrow’s arm over his shoulders.

“Come on, my place isn’t too far from here.”

___

Qrow woke up and his head was pounding. He was in his boxers and Roman was asleep, next to him in bed. _Fuck. Did we…?_ Qrow tried to recall the events of the night before but couldn’t remember much of anything. He looked over at Roman, who was also in his boxers. And as hot as Roman was, he would’ve liked to remember if he had slept with him or not. While Qrow was wracking his brain, Roman stirred and rolled over. He opened one eye to look at Qrow before yelling quite loudly,

“Good morning sunshine!”

Qrow yelped in surprise and jerked backwards, falling off the edge of the bed, and hitting the floor with a thump. Roman had sat up and was cackling, obviously pleased with himself.

“Fucking hell Roman,” Qrow called from the floor, “some of us are hungover, yeah?”

Roman continued to laugh as he flung his legs over the side of the bed and threw on some clothes.

Qrow groaned as he stood up. He didn’t exactly know how to phrase it...

“Um… so, last night then, was, a…”

“You wish,” Roman said with a yawn. He threw Qrow’s clothes at him. “You tried to give me the world’s most drunken blow job, so I took a hard pass.”

Qrow wasn’t sure if Roman was lying or not, and while he’d like to think he was, if Qrow was being honest, he couldn’t entirely rule it out. He’d honestly done worse while blacked out. And besides, what harm could it do to just spend the night? He doubted his semblance could seriously affect Roman, let alone hurt him. Roman always found a way to weasel his way out of trouble.

_What was he doing?_ He needed to leave. It didn’t matter how much he liked or disliked Roman, he wasn’t going to put any more people in danger.

Qrow took his clothes from Roman, quickly dressing. He located his wallet and scroll, and double-checked his lien. Qrow certainly wouldn’t put that past Roman.

“Coffee?” Roman asked, walking over to the kitchen.

“Um, no, I’ve got to go,” Qrow said hurriedly. Qrow could only describe the look on Roman’s face as momentarily crestfallen.

Qrow stopped in the doorway while he was leaving, and looked back at Roman.

“Hey, uh, thanks…” Qrow trailed off, “you know for..”

Roman tilted his head and looked at Qrow, his long hair falling down to the side. His disappointment had been replaced by his trademark smirk.

“Try and keep your ass out of the gutter, Branwen.”

Qrow scoffed and smiled.

“Look who’s talking.”

Roman raised his coffee cup and winked before Qrow closed the door.


	5. Chapter 5

_Twenty Five_

Sure, he could say no to a relationship. Easy. But sex? He supposed one night here and there wouldn’t do any harm.

“Are you going to tease me all night, or are you going to start fucking me sometime this century?” Roman said.

Qrow had taken a job as huntsman security. An easy assignment that mostly involved keeping watch all night. Roman had taken a job to get past that security. Roman didn’t make it far.

Earlier that night, as Qrow was trying not to doze off while on watch, he thought he recognized someone with a very familiar strut.

“What the- Roman?” Qrow used harbinger to lift up Roman’s hat as he was walking inside.

“N-Noo. My name is Charles Winnebago and I- oh, Hi Qrow,” he said with a wide, unapologetic grin.

Qrow was going to turn him in, he really was. Although Roman technically didn’t do anything wrong. And as long as Qrow stopped him, what was the difference? Qrow made Roman keep watch with him for the rest of the night and insisted on a huntsman escort home, just in case he tried anything after he’d left.

“You’re a shitty thief, you know,” Qrow said as he bit and licked his way up Roman’s chest.

“And you must be a shitty huntsman if you’re working night security jobs,” he replied, letting out a moan as Qrow dug his teeth into his shoulder. “That was so fucking boring Qrow, you owe me big time,” Roman said in between groans.

“You’re lucky I didn’t have you locked up,” Qrow said, undoing the belt on his pants. Roman had his clothes off, and Qrow was following suit. He tugged his belt out of the loops and wrapped it around his hands before pulling it taut in front of Roman. Roman raised his eyebrow and licked his lips.

“In fact, I don’t think you’ve learned your lesson at all,” Qrow said, leaning in next to Roman’s ear. He began to cinch the belt around Roman’s neck, securing it snugly but not too tight. He gave a tug on the end of the belt, jerking Roman’s head back and causing Roman to moan. Qrow saw his dick twitch and snap to attention. Roman had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Ever since the day they fought the geist together and Qrow had kissed him. He didn’t want Qrow to know how much he wanted this, how desperate he was to have Qrow’s hands on him, but his reaction wasn’t exactly leaving much to the imagination.

Qrow smiled in response to Roman’s moans. He watched as Roman’s eyes closed, and his mouth opened and _fuck,_ Qrow felt his own dick twitch. He felt a sudden surge of panic and guilt. Something could go wrong. He should leave. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that Roman had the survival skills of a cockroach.

Qrow leaned over and traced his thumb over Roman’s bottom lip. Roman moaned and parted his lips. Qrow pushed two of his fingers into his mouth and over his tongue, feeling them slide snugly into the warmth of his mouth. Roman groaned, and slowly sucked. He could hear Qrow swearing under his breath, as he struggled to remove the rest of his clothes.

Qrow slid his fingers out of Roman’s mouth and moved them down to one of his nipples, tugging lightly. Roman’s cries were muffled by Qrow’s lips on his. Roman moaned into the kiss. There was a sense of urgency to their kissing, years of sexual tension built up and released in a flood of impatience. Qrow noted that Roman tasted like a candy store. One that had recently burnt down.

Qrow pulled away and started rifling through his bag at the end of the bed. Roman was slightly out of breath from kissing and from the belt that was still around his neck. He caught his breath after a few moments and laid down on his stomach at the end of the bed. His head was propped up in his hands as he watched Qrow mutter and toss things out of his bag. After an “Ah ha!” from Qrow, a bottle of lube came flying towards Roman. Qrow stood up, he was wearing a harness with a sizable prosthesis attached.

“Fucking hell, Branwen,” Roman said, eyeing his dick with wide eyes, “You’ve already destroyed my chances of landing a paycheck tonight, do you have to destroy my ass too?”

Qrow snorted.

“Ever the linguist, Roman.” Roman gave him a wide grin in response. Qrow ran a hand through Roman’s hair, as Roman closed his eyes and sighed. Qrow tightened his grip in Roman’s hair, grabbing a fistful and pulling him closer. Roman moaned and took the tip of Qrow’s dick into his mouth. Qrow’s thrusts were slow at first. He watched his dick disappear into Roman’s mouth, stretching it open a little wider with each thrust. Roman was a mess of noises as he struggled to take Qrow’s dick. Qrow had both hands in Roman’s hair now, firmly holding his head in place and he fucked his mouth. Qrow pulled out and Roman gasped for air, his breathing ragged.

“Turn over,” Qrow said, tugging on the belt around his neck. As Roman moved positions, Qrow noticed the wet spot on the blanket from where Roman’s dick had been trapped and leaking. Qrow felt his own arousal pooling and dripping down his thighs.

With Roman now on his back, Qrow had a better angle. He picked up where he left off, but now his thrusts went deeper, into Roman’s throat. Roman’s cries were completely muffled, and Qrow noticed his dick twitching against his stomach. Qrow slid his fingers under the belt around Roman’s neck, placing them around his neck so he could feel the glide of his dick as he thrust in and out of Roman’s throat.

Roman was a moaning, sputtering mess. He struggled to stop from choking as tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. Qrow pulled out of Roman’s mouth, allowing him to gasp for air and catch his breath. He gave him a few moments to recover before holding his prosthesis against his stomach and reaching down to spread himself open. He ran a few fingers through the slickness trickling from in between his legs and stroked his actual dick a few times before sticking it in Roman’s mouth. Roman’s lips were red and sensitive from earlier, and Qrow could feel the extra heat as he sunk into his mouth. It didn’t take long before Qrow was holding Roman’s head in place and thrusting shallowly as he came into his mouth, his fluids shooting into Roman’s mouth and running down his legs. Roman struggled to swallow as the liquid flooded into his throat. Roman choked and groaned, his right hand reaching down to stroke his dick.

Qrow grabbed his wrist, stopping his hand from moving.

“I’m not done with you yet,” he said.

 _“Fuck_ ,” Roman replied, his tone a combination of frustration and arousal.

Qrow let his prosthesis swing down and climbed onto the bed. He lifted Roman’s legs so that they were firmly resting onto his shoulders. He ran a finger through the trail of precum on Roman’s stomach and down the length of his dick, watching as Roman lifted his hips and moaned, trying to get more contact with Qrow. Qrow continued to trail his finger down his balls, stopping to tug at them lightly and enjoying the whimper that escaped from Roman. He traced circles over his hole as he grabbed the lube with his other hand. He slowly sunk a finger into Roman, feeling just how tight he was and swearing under his breath.

Roman was sighing and moaning, impatiently trying to fuck himself into Qrow’s fingers. Qrow added another digit and curled them up, causing Roman to cry out and his dick to shoot out a small stream of precum. Qrow took this as a sign that he was ready for more. He buried three fingers into Roman, thrusting into him at a steady pace. The sound of Roman’s cries went straight to Qrow’s dick, as he felt it throb in response. Qrow continued to fuck him open, noticing how Roman’s neglected dick continued to twitch and turn a deep shade of pink.

Qrow pulled his fingers out with a yell from Roman and moved his legs off of his shoulders.

“And where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Roman said, a little breathlessly. He looked downright debauched, _and absolutely delicious_ , Qrow thought to himself. Qrow just chuckled in response and smirked, as he laid down on the bed. He applied a generous amount of lube into his hand and starting fucking into his fist while looking at Roman. Roman took the hint and crawled over to Qrow, positioning himself over his dick. He gradually lowered himself into the tip, moaning as it pushed in. He already felt so stretched open just from the tip, he wasn’t sure how much he could actually take. Qrow watched as his dick disappeared into Roman. Roman’s eyebrows furrowed and his mouth dropped open as he sunk down another inch onto Qrow’s dick with a gasp. Qrow knew Roman had to set his own pace, so he watched as Roman took his time riding him.

Roman’s skin was covered in a sheen of sweat and his breath had quickened. He had gotten to the point where he had worked his way most of the way down Qrow’s dick, bouncing a little as his own dick knocked against his stomach that was smeared with precum. Qrow could tell that Roman was tired, maybe a little encouragement would help him. Qrow tugged on the belt still around Roman’s neck, pulling him down into a kiss and swallowing Roman’s cries resulting from the change of angle.

“You’re almost there.” Qrow whispered, pulling away from the kiss and letting go of the belt.

Qrow held onto Roman’s hips as he gently thrust up into him, and Roman cried out as he pushed down further, taking the entirety of Qrow’s dick inside him, his skin finally flush with Qrow’s. A stream of whimpers came from Roman as Qrow thrust up into him. His whimpers quickly turned into sobs as Qrow started stroking his long neglected cock. It wasn’t very long before Roman clamped down on Qrow and came with a yell, shooting streaks of white onto his chest and stomach, and coating Qrow’s hand. Qrow smiled at Roman. If Roman didn’t know better, he would say that Qrow looked almost impressed.

“You always were up for a challenge,” Qrow commented.

Roman let out a deep sigh of exasperation and ran his hand through his hair, laughing.

“You’re telling me, Branwen,” he said, gingerly separating himself from Qrow, “spending time with you is always a challenge for me,” he said, running his fingers through the streaks of cum on his chest and wiping them on Qrow.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Mantispire for creating such a gorgeous piece to go with this story! Find more of his amazing art  
> [here](https://twitter.com/mantispire).

_Thirty Sev- wait, no...Thirty Eight_

“Well, if it isn’t Qrow Fucking Branwen…” came a melodic voice from directly behind him. Qrow didn’t have to turn around on his bar stool in order to know whose voice that was. A smirk lifted the corners of Qrow’s mouth.

“Roman Fuckwick,” replied Qrow, before downing the last of his drink. He set his glass down with a loud thud, before signaling the bartender for another one. The bartender switched his empty glass out for a full one, and Roman glided onto the empty barstool next to Qrow.

“Let me guess, you get another teammate killed or something?” Roman said casually, eyeing the drink in Qrow’s hand.” Qrow’s jaw tightened but he kept his composure. He paused, taking another drink before saying anything.

“Well, it looks like this town’s gone to shit, if you’re here.” Qrow said, finally looking over at Roman. Roman gave him a wide smile.

“Hey, a guy’s got to make a living!” Roman said. “Someone’s got to organize the crime! Speaking of which,” Roman gestured around him to the bar, “This fine establishment is under new management as of today.” He took a drink from the bartender, lifting his glass in a one-sided toast.

Qrow rolled his eyes. He’d stopped trying to keep track of Roman’s misdemeanors, he had bigger things to worry about these days.

“I suppose you wouldn’t have noticed though, being too busy sucking Ozpin’s dick and all,” Roman said in a casual tone. He swirled the ice in his glass, eyeing Qrow from behind a curtain of orange hair topped with his signature derby hat.

Qrow scoffed. “Jealous?” He replied, taking a swig of his whiskey.

“Hardly.” Roman said, putting his hand on Qrow’s shoulder and leaning in close to him. “Because I know I can get you on your knees whenever I want,” Roman whispered in his ear, before pulling away and watching the combination of annoyance and arousal mix on Qrow’s face.

Qrow glanced towards the stairs. He knew the rooms up there were part of the inn, which he assumed Roman now also owned. He was used to these encounters with Roman. It didn’t matter who they were working for, what side they were playing, or what they were running from. They always seemed to cross paths. Roman rarely told Qrow what he was up to, and Qrow never asked. The important thing was that whenever they ended up meeting, Qrow could always rely on Roman to fuck like the world was ending the next day.

“That’s not how I recall our last encounter,” Qrow said with a glint in his eyes, as he finished his drink and stood up. “I seem to remember you screaming my name so loud, the police were called. Twice.”

Roman chuckled. “Touche’,” he said lightly. He finished his own drink, tipping his hat at the bartender as he headed towards the stairs, not looking back to see if Qrow was following.

Roman led him to a small room above the bar. It was dimly lit from a few lamps, with a four poster bed in the corner. The furniture looked ancient, but well made, and the decor looked like it hadn’t been updated in more than a few decades. Roman walked over to a large chest against the wall, opening it with a flourish to reveal stacks upon stacks of coiled rope, as well as quite a few other things that Qrow took note of as he peered inside.

Qrow crossed his arms, leaned back against the wall and scoffed.

“What’s the matter, Qrow? Don’t you trust me?” Roman said in a theatrically innocent tone. His lips were set in a pout, and his eyes sparkled with a sort of devious mischief.

Qrow laughed. “Not even in the slightest,” he responded with a smirk, walking over to Roman and flicking under the brim of his hat, sending it flying backwards behind him. Roman frowned, smoothing out his ruffled hair. Qrow reached for Roman’s ascot, pulling it tight around his neck. Roman let out an involuntary groan.

“So I think I’d better be the one to do the tying.” Qrow said, whispering into Roman’s ear. He let go of him and picked up one of the bundles of rope.

___

Roman’s eyes fluttered closed and he sighed, as he felt the ropes tighten around his wrists. He slowly felt the tension that he didn’t even realize he had been holding on to, gradually melt out of his body. Qrow’s hands were rough, his skin calloused from fighting, but his touch wasn’t. He was slowly and methodically wrapping Roman limbs, making sure every knot was secure. Qrow watched Roman test his restraints, as he squirmed for a bit before adjusting himself and relaxing into the secure hold of the ropes. As Qrow watched Roman’s body slowly melt into the ropes, he heard him release a deep breath. Qrow knew Roman needed this. It wasn’t a coincidence he had run into him. They both pretended that their meetings were by chance, but he knew it was more complicated than that. Roman would never admit it, and Qrow would never ask him to. When they were together, everything got pushed aside and it was just the two of them. Their meetings were nostalgic and bittersweet at the same time. They reminded Qrow of when they were younger, when they were two sides of the same coin. They weren’t so different back then. But now, it was like getting a taste of a life so different from their own, one they know they could never truly live.

Qrow was finished with the ropes, and Roman lay on the bed, his breath heavy and slow. Ropes ran up and down his arms and legs, his arms and wrists were outstretched and strung together with a length of rope left dangling from the middle. His legs were tied up against his torso, leaving his knees bent and his legs spread apart.

Qrow stood back to inspect his handiwork. Roman’s whole facade had dropped. His expression was soft and his eyes were bright. They usually kept a playful tone when they were together, but today Roman was quiet. Something felt different with him. He seemed to be taking everything in. Qrow wasn’t going to complain, if Roman didn’t feel like mouthing off to him, that was fine by him, he could use his mouth for more important things. Qrow ran his fingertips down Roman’s chest, stopping just short of his dick. This elicited a whine from Roman. Qrow smiled. It wasn’t often that he got to see Roman like this, so he was going to take his time and enjoy it. He slowly undressed, leaving his clothes in a pile next to Roman’s.

Roman watched Qrow, his movements completely stilled and his breath shallow in anticipation. He took in every wiry muscle on Qrow’s body, noticing more scars than when he had seen him last.

Qrow worked his way up Roman’s body, his breath ghosting over his skin, leaving trails of goosebumps and eliciting shivers from him. Qrow swiped his tongue over the head of Roman’s dick and quickly delivered a hard bite directly onto the sensitive skin of his inner thigh. Roman cried out, but didn’t move away. His dick was leaking and Qrow could see his eyes start to water.

“Good boy,” Qrow said. He felt Roman’s body relax in response to his comment. He knelt over Roman, his knees on either side of his head. He looked down at Roman, watching his breathing pick up and his lips part. He took the length of rope attached to Roman’s wrists and pulled hard, jerking his body forward. Qrow tilted Roman’s chin up as Roman strained to look at Qrow from his position under him. He brushed his thumb over Roman’s bottom lip and curled two fingers into his mouth which Roman automatically began to suck on. Qrow removed his wet fingers and spread himself open, slowly stroking his dick inches away from Roman’s face. Roman opened his mouth in anticipation, and Qrow grunted as he thrust forward into the warm, wet heat. Roman moaned as Qrow grabbed a fistful of his hair in each of his hands, holding his head in place as he fucked his mouth. Roman’s moans reverberated through Qrow’s cock as Qrow quickened his pace. Roman savored the feel of Qrow’s cock in his mouth and the taste of his wetness as it combined with his saliva and pooled in his mouth. With his fingers laced through Roman’s soft hair, and a firm grip on the back of his head, Qrow thrust into Roman’s mouth until he was at the edge. One last thrust from Qrow and he let out a cry. Juices ran down Roman’s chin as Qrow held his head in place. Roman moaned and struggled to swallow.

“Messy, aren’t we?” Qrow commented, pulling away from Roman as he gasped for breath.

Roman gulped and panted for a moment before responding.

“Speak for yourself,” Roman retorted. He kicked his legs apart, showing Qrow how the ropes had come undone “The only thing worse than your luck are your shibari skills,” Roman said, slightly out of breath.

Qrow rolled his eyes. It seemed like Roman’s attitude had returned. He glanced at the bedside table where he saw Roman’s cane leaning up against the side. He reached over to grab it, pushing it up against Roman’s throat.

“I don’t remember saying you could talk,” Qrow said. Roman sputtered and choked, before closing his eyes and letting out little high pitched moans. Qrow kept a firm grip on the cane as he moved down Roman’s body. He lowered himself slightly to slide back and forth over Roman’s dick, leaving a trail of wetness across it. He felt Roman squirm and moan, his hips bucking up as he tried to get more contact. Qrow was grinding his cock against Roman’s, and relishing in all of the different noises he was getting out of him. Qrow pulled away and watched as Roman whined, his dick twitching and his face red. Qrow lifted the cane from his throat, and Roman gasped for air. Qrow noticed a stream of precum leaking out from his dick.

Roman panted as he felt the air returning to his lungs.

“Hmm,” said Qrow. He was running the tip of the cane roughly back and forth over Roman’s nipples, watching as they turned bright pink, every consecutive stroke causing him to whimper from overstimulation.

Qrow stopped suddenly, and withdrew the cane.

“I have an idea,” he said, turning it around in his hands. He pulled Roman up by his wrists into a sitting position. “Hold this for a second,” Qrow said, as he held the cane sideways and pushed it between Roman's lips and into his mouth. He struggled to hold the heavy weapon in his mouth without it falling. His mouth was stretched open and his teeth struggled to get a grip on the curved surface. His jaw was shaking from the effort, as saliva started to pool in his mouth.

Qrow gave Roman an appreciative smile and got to work removing the ropes on his legs. Qrow guided him over to one of the end bedposts so he could be repositioned. His wrist restraints had been retied so that they were secured to the top of the bedpost. He was suspended just high enough so that he could kneel on the bed, or turn around and reach the floor with his toes if his legs were stretched out.

When Qrow was done securing him, he was kneeling on the bed with his hands tied high on the post. He was facing the bedpost and Qrow was standing next to him. Qrow reached over and gently removed the cane from Roman’s mouth, watching his jaw quiver and saliva run down his chin.

“Thanks,” Qrow said, tossing the cane back onto the bed.

Roman groaned and stretched his jaw. He glanced back at the discarded cane and sputtered, “Wait, why the fuck was I holding th- Ahh!” His words were disrupted by the feeling of Qrow’s tongue running over his balls, and grazing over his hole. Roman quickly forgot his train of thought as he spread his legs more, trying to give Qrow better access. Qrow was taking his time, slowly lapping and sucking. When Roman’s noises got louder, he would pull back for a few moments, causing Roman to whine and push back into Qrow, but finding nothing but air.

“For fuck’s sake Qrow, fucking fuck me!” Roman said in frustration. They had been doing this for the past twenty minutes, and Roman had gradually gone from his dreamy and compliant headspace, into a frustrated and irritated mess.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Roman demanded, pulling on his wrist restraints. Qrow laughed.

“Not at the moment,” Qrow responded calmly. Roman heard him reaching for his bag. His wrists were starting to ache and he was getting impatient.

“But if you insist on rushing,” Qrow continued, “We can get right to it.” Qrow doused his fingers in lube and pushed two of them right into Roman’s hole. Roman cried out at the sensation, and clamped down around Qrow’s fingers.

“So. Fucking. Tight.” Qrow said, thrusting into Roman in between words. Roman groaned as he felt the lube disperse, and Qrow’s movements became smoother. Roman let out a constant stream of moans, his wishes finally being granted after being teased for so long. Qrow pulled his fingers out of Roman and stood up.

Roman looked like he was about to cry. A string of “pleasepleaseplease” escaped his lips as he tried to rut against the bedpost for friction.

“You look so good when you’re desperate,” Qrow said. He spun Roman around, so that his back was to the post and his toes were barely touching the floor, still suspended by his wrists. He lifted Roman’s legs up and put them around his waist. Roman sighed as Qrow covered his chest in kisses and the occasional bite. With one particularly hard bite, Qrow thrust into Roman with three of his fingers, causing Roman to cry out and moan at the same time. He could feel Roman clenching around his fingers and he wanted so badly to keep fucking him just like that. Qrow bit his lip and reluctantly pulled his fingers out.

Roman could feel actual tears running down his face. He couldn’t take being teased to the edge for so long. His whines of protest turned into surprise, as he felt a cool, hard object being inserted into him. _Goddamnit Qrow._ He recognized the smooth material of his cane. He shivered and groaned as the length of solid metal slid into him. It was a sensation unlike anything he’d ever experienced. The unyielding weapon pushed into him, forcing his body to accommodate to the rigid shape. Qrow worked it into him easily. He watched as the length of the cane disappeared inside him, yelling and moaning as he felt it go deeper than anything he’d felt before. Roman squeezed his legs around Qrow’s waist, bracing himself to take more, but Qrow slowly pulled the cane out entirely, showing it to Roman.

“Look how much I fit inside of you,” he said, indicating a good twelve inches down the cane. Qrow gave the cane a healthy reapplication of lube. “Let’s see how much more you can take,” said Qrow, delivering a bite to his neck as he slid the tip of the cane back into Roman. Roman had never been any good at being quiet during sex, and this was no exception. He was panting and moaning with each thrust, and when Qrow reached a point that made Roman whimper, he withdrew the length of the cane and quickly thrust it back inside him, right to that same point. Roman screamed, a stream of precum shooting from his dick. Qrow continued to make shallow thrusts, putting one of his hands on Roman’s lower abdomen. He could feel the shape of the cane push into his hand on every thrust, and he could feel his arousal dripping down his thighs.

Qrow readjusted them, moving Roman’s legs from his waist, onto his shoulders. Qrow’s hands were at Roman’s hips, leaving Roman’s cane hanging out of his ass.

“Qrowww, what the f-, oh shit,” Roman said, as Qrow leaned his head forward, taking Roman’s dick into his mouth. Roman uttered every curse word he knew as Qrow bobbed up and down on his dick. He soon felt Qrow take control of the cane, continuing where he left off. Roman was overwhelmed by sensations and couldn’t stop moaning Qrow’s name.

Qrow felt Roman’s balls start to tighten and he knew he was close. With Roman suspended and the rest of his weight on Qrow’s shoulders, he was free to use his other hand. He tugged firmly on Roman’s balls, preventing him from coming. Roman cried out in surprise and frustration. Qrow fucked him like this for a few more moments, and more tears welled up on Roman’s eyes as the overstimulation got the best of him. On Qrow’s next thrust, he pushed the cane deep into Roman. Roman cried out, twitching wildly in Qrow’s mouth. Qrow finally let go of his balls, and quickly slipped a finger into Roman alongside the cane, angling it to hit his prostate with every thrust. Roman screamed as he came, and Qrow pulled off of his dick just in time to witness streams of white shooting up onto Roman’s stomach, chest, and hair. Qrow continued fucking him through his orgasm, and only pulled out after an annoyed,

“For fuck’s sake, Branwen!!”

Before Qrow could so much as comment on Roman’s debauched state, a loud creak followed by an even louder snap came from the bedpost that Roman was currently attached to.

“Shit,” was the last thing that Qrow heard from Roman, as a significantly sticky Roman along with part of the bed, came crashing down onto Qrow.

___

“The whole place needs a renovation, anyhow,” Roman said, looking around. He had just stepped out of the bathroom, his hair wet from the shower.

“I didn’t know low life criminals cared so much about interior design,” Qrow said with amusement. He had gotten dressed, and was sitting on the windowsill. The window was open and he had one knee up, with a half smoked cigarette in his hand.

“I prefer to think of myself as a _high life_ criminal,” Roman replied, sitting next to Qrow. He pulled out a cigar of his own and looked expectantly at Qrow. Qrow rolled his eyes and scoffed, leaning over to light Roman’s cigar. They sat in silence for several moments, looking out the window into the dark streets below them.

Qrow heard Roman let out a deep sigh next to him.

“This next one might not be so fun,” he said. He tucked a strand of wet hair behind his ear, and leaned back against the side of the window. He took a long drag from his cigar and looked up at the sky, focusing on the splintered pieces of the moon.

Qrow turned to look at Roman. He could tell when Roman was scared of something. Even underneath his sarcastic demeanor.

“You know it doesn’t have to be like... this.” Qrow said, gesturing outwardly in the air. Roman wasn’t sure if Qrow was referring to the rundown inn, his life of crime, or their haphazard... _relationship_ if you could call it that. Roman laughed bitterly.

“Is that right? And just what the fuck would you know about my life, Branwen?” Roman said, frowning and taking a drag from his cigar.

“You think you know me so well?” He scoffed as he exhaled. His sarcasm suddenly dropped, and there was a certain intensity in his tone. “Well, do you want to know what I think? I don’t think you’d ever have the guts to do the things I do. I think you took the easy way out a long time ago Qrow, and you wouldn’t last one day in my shoes.” He didn’t look at Qrow when he said this. He paused and sighed, hesitating before he continued.

“I’ve gotten myself into some real serious shit, and there’s no getting out now. I just have to see it through,” Roman said. His tone was calmer and his voice was quieter. He almost seemed to be talking to himself. “Where the fuck were you twenty years ago, huh?” He flicked the last of his cigar out the window, and hopped down from the windowsill.

___

That night Roman tossed and turned. He talked in his sleep. Qrow had never seen him so uneasy. Roman wasn’t usually the cuddling type, but when Qrow went to put his arm around him, Roman didn’t move away. He just sighed and leaned into Qrow. Qrow listened to the sound of Roman’s breathing and the sound of the rain hitting the window, and he drifted off to sleep soon after.

A bright beam of light hit Qrow’s face as he groaned and rolled over. Roman was gone. This certainly didn’t come as a surprise to Qrow though. It wasn’t even typical for them to spend the night together, but it had been late last night, and they were both exhausted. There was something blue on the nightstand that was catching the light coming in from the window. Qrow blinked a few times and yawned, reaching over to see what it was.

His fingertips closed around a smooth, cool rock, and he sat up, turning it over in his palm. It had been worn down in the middle. A deep well that Qrow instinctively placed his thumb into. It was made of Lapis. Which was strange, because the only Lapis he’d ever seen was by his old tribe camp when he was a kid. He used to collect rocks when he was younger from wherever area they’d happen to be in. It even looked just like one he used to have. One that Roman-

 _No, it couldn’t be._ It looked exactly like the rock he’d had when he was thirteen. The one that Roman had taken from his tent during the raid. Qrow held it up to the light. The surface was much smoother now and the groove deeper. Almost as if it had been carried around in a pocket for years, a thumb absentmindedly fitting itself into the notch in the center.


End file.
